An agent feels Bosh will leave Toronto...

Chris Bosh. Only five insiders believe Bosh will re-sign with Toronto. Yet, I view this as a positive sign for Raptors, because those five votes offset widespread speculation that Bosh is certain to leave this summer. The Raptors can pay him close to $30 million more than other teams over the length of a six-year contract, compared to the five years with smaller annual raises he would receive elsewhere. That $30 million cannot be dismissed amid gloomy projections of salary cutbacks when the next collective bargaining agreement is installed in 2011-12. Bosh may never be able to make up that money in future contracts.

"Here's the thing people don't know about him," an Eastern team president said of Bosh. "He wants to be a star. He wants to be the No. 1 guy."

If true, then that's another reason for him to remain with Toronto, as opposed to becoming the No. 2 option to Wade in Miami (or to Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas via a sign-and-trade).

Regardless of how Bosh may view himself, the prevailing opinion around the league is that he cannot be the top player of a championship team.

"I don't think Chris Bosh is a No. 1 guy," a Western personnel executive said. "For him to be really successful -- and he may not be willing to admit this -- he needs to be with another guy. If he goes to Miami, I think that fits his personality because Wade provides the best match [as a perimeter teammate] for him, but again, a lot of guys can't admit to things like that.

"Almost everybody at the top of this free-agent class is a wing player, but Bosh is the one big man that's coveted and could fit in with a lot of different teams," this Western exec added. "What I've heard through the grapevine is that the only cold-weather city he's going to consider playing in is Toronto."

So much of this free-agent forecasting takes on the sound of pop-psychology analysis, as the executives try to evaluate a player's ambitions as well as his style of play.

"He could stay because they can pay him more than anyone," an Eastern team executive said of Bosh. "I always say it takes more for a guy to leave than to stay. With Bosh, you've got to give the guy the max or he's walking, but he's not a max player, I don't think. On the other hand, I really don't think he wants to carry a team. He says otherwise, and it sounds like he loves being the [No. 1] guy in Toronto, but I'm not buying that. I personally think he doesn't want to carry a contending team day after day, that he doesn't want that pressure. So looking at it that way, I could see him playing with Wade or Derrick Rose [of the Bulls, who have the cap space to make a run at Bosh]."

"I think he gets lured down to South Beach," said an agent, who obviously doesn't represent Bosh. "I think his emotions are up and down, that he likes it up there. But I really don't think Toronto is going to max him out. The owners are going to have a new definition of who a max guy is, and there are only eight or nine players who are at that [level]. Pau Gasol is not max, Antawn Jamison got the max when he was at Golden State, [Andrei] Kirilenko got it [from Utah]. And those deals bit those teams in the [butt] because those guys are not major stars. The max is for Tim Duncan, LeBron, D-Wade, Kobe Bryant -- that echelon. As an agent, I want as much money as I can get, but I'm telling you how the owners are looking at it."

If Bosh decides this summer he isn't going to stay in Toronto, added the agent, "I do know that Toronto will explore sign-and-trades for him so they get something in return. That's where they feel comfortable, and they probably have told his [agent] that, so that he won't just jump ship."

"I think he gets lured down to South Beach," said an agent, who obviously doesn't represent Bosh.

I guess these guys didn't hear Bosh's comments from the other day where not only does he want to be a franchise player, but also doesn't want to play 2nd fiddle to anyone. And if he goes to Miami, Wade is still the franchise there so I DON'T think we'll be seeing Bosh in a Heat jersey anytime soon.

In a sports media world were most of the "news" is created by one media guy asking another media guy for their opinion and then treating this like they are talking to an informed expert source, I guess getting a "agent" who doesn't even represent the player you want to discuss is a step up.

The Agent might have actually talked to somebody who knows somebody that heard someone say something about how they feel Chris is leaning. Best Source Ever!

On the other hand, I really don't think he wants to carry a team. He says otherwise, and it sounds like he loves being the [No. 1] guy in Toronto, but I'm not buying that. I personally think he doesn't want to carry a contending team day after day, that he doesn't want that pressure.

"I think he gets lured down to South Beach," said an agent, who obviously doesn't represent Bosh. "I think his emotions are up and down, that he likes it up there. But I really don't think Toronto is going to max him out. The owners are going to have a new definition of who a max guy is, and there are only eight or nine players who are at that [level].

These guys are on crack man. WTF, why make stupid ass public comments when they clearly don't know what they are talking about!!! Bosh was saying just the other day how he wants to be "the man" on a team and why isn't there talk of bringing in somebody to play along side HIM. And Raps owners are not going to give him the max!?!?! Seriously! What are these dudes smokin?

These guys are on crack man. WTF, why make stupid ass public comments when they clearly don't know what they are talking about!!! Bosh was saying just the other day how he wants to be "the man" on a team and why isn't there talk of bringing in somebody to play along side HIM. And Raps owners are not going to give him the max!?!?! Seriously! What are these dudes smokin?

This crap is starting to piss me off.

Why makes people make such public comments you ask? Well, I am of the belief that when there is a sense of anonymity people become more liberal with their comments. I mean in that case there is no one to hold them accountable for their comments. If they wanted to stir the pot then the hungry grunt writer wanting to impress his boss certainly isn't going to ignore comments of a questionable background, neither is the high profile writer wanting to be viewed as an "insider". Pisses me off too .40.

I actually thought the article was pretty good. We all point to everything Bosh has said to a sign of him staying, but we also talk Bosh as a guy who always says and does the right things. Is it not possible that Bosh is leaning towards leaving, but continues to walk the line by saying and doing all the right things. Bottom line though, it doesn't matter what these articles are saying. If you are confident Bosh will resign, you should be loving all these articles, viewing them as a chance to laugh at the American Media. These articles just mean it will be even more of a shock when Bosh resigns this summer. That is assuming he does resign. I am not so confident as most around here.